Gyokko was just that arrogant and conceited; Kiyokawa Izumi
With the final breath of the Soundless Three Stage, his expanding lungs felt as if they were about to tear apart, and power surged continuously, already having achieved a Breakthrough
Breathing was truly capable of such miraculous things.
A swift and fierce strike was swung straight out, as if carrying the strength of his entire body.
"You don't really think I've used my full strength, do you? Are you despairing? Are you angry? Are you unwilling?"
The moment the slash missed, Kiyokawa Izumi
He had the advantage of information and had exploited the demon's twisted personality.
But why did this strike miss?
Realizing instantly that the feeling of the strike was wrong, he naturally retreated repeatedly, quickly opening up some distance.
His original position was enveloped by countless streams of water.
Had he been even a second slower, he would have experienced the sensation of drowning.
New pots appeared, which the swordsmen fighting alongside him didn't have time to deal with; moreover, Gyokko's retraction speed was unimaginably fast.
A mocking smile seemed to hang on that ugly, inhuman face.
Suddenly appearing on a tree, Gyokko looked down from above with a playful expression.
"It really was just a tiny bit off this time. Look, the air stirred by the blade's edge has already grazed my neck. It was truly a powerful strike.
Among the many Hashira I've encountered, you can already rank in the top three."
Small, infant-like hands lightly covered the wound, and in less than the time of a single breath, the insignificant injury caused by Kiyokawa Izumi had already healed.
It seemed he wanted to admire Kiyokawa Izumi's expression of despair, which was why he spoke with such posturing.
You, having given your all, are worthless, because you achieved nothing.
Being off by just that much means the final result is completely different.
"Hoo—"
Kiyokawa Izumi's breathing was now exceptionally loud.
The wind-up time for the Fourth Form was too long; he couldn't use it immediately. In training battles with other Hashira, because they had fought many times, he was very familiar with their styles and could quickly use the Fourth Form.
But it was different facing Gyokko.
He knew of his Blood Demon Art, but only in a general sense.
Exactly how long were the poison needles spat out, how many were there, and how wide was the range?
He knew none of these things.
Additionally, his mindset hadn't recovered from before.
If he could use the Fourth Form in combination with the extreme burst of the Third Form, there might really be a chance.
'After a full-power burst, a period of exhaustion is inevitable; I need to readjust my breathing and reawaken my tired body.'
'If I hadn't mastered Total Concentration Breathing: Constant, I would probably have fainted by now... Are all the Upper Moons such monsters?'
'Is this a joke? Even after revealing all my trump cards, I've only made him take things slightly seriously?'
His hands gripped the nichirin blade even tighter.
He already felt some regret for not asking Shinobu for some poison before leaving.
Even if it were useless, slightly slowing down Gyokko's recovery would have been good.
"Blood Demon Art: Ten Thousand Gliding Slime-Fish!"
He suddenly moved, and the small hands on both sides of his body instantly transformed into deep blue Gyokko engraved with Slime-Fish patterns.
There was no need to use ordinary probing Moves anymore.
The Hashira before him indeed had some strength.
Although he was still far inferior to Lord Gyokko, he was already worthy of this Move.
It was just a pity that he wouldn't be able to obtain the Hashira's intact corpse.
Countless Slime-Fish, impossible to count with the naked eye, squeezed out from the pitch-black mouth of the jar. The surrounding air was suddenly filled with a fishy tide, and as the school of fish swam, they brought forth bursts of poisonous mist, a sky-blotting pressure suddenly attacking.
In the face of this Move, whether it was Kiyokawa Izumi or the ordinary swordsmen, they all appeared incredibly small at this moment.
"What is that?"
"Mon... Monster!"
The battle here had ultimately drawn the villagers.
Obvious lights and blurry figures could be seen not far away.
The bodies of the two ordinary swordsmen trembled slightly; at this moment, they could only grip their nichirin blades tightly.
They did not retreat, seemingly having resolved themselves to sacrifice, standing firmly behind Kiyokawa Izumi.
No matter what, they had to block some for the Hashira.
Although that's what they thought, how could they possibly block this Move?
The Sword Techniques they had learned simply couldn't be performed.
They couldn't help but question in their hearts: Was such a demon truly something an ordinary person could defeat with a body of flesh and blood?
'He really thinks highly of me! The Slime-Fish are so densely packed; even if I can see them clearly, how can I block them?'
'Moreover, even if I slay all these fish, they will spray countless poison before turning to dust... It will enter the lungs through breathing and be absorbed through the body's surface.'
Kiyokawa Izumi glanced back out of the corner of his eye; within this range, these two were almost certainly doomed.
"Leave this place! Don't hesitate, don't delay!"
Kiyokawa Izumi said in a slightly indifferent tone.
While Gyokko's attention was focused entirely on him, if they left quickly, they might avoid this attack.
Perhaps because the tone was too forceful and the command brook no refusal, the two Official Members could only turn and run with complex feelings of unwillingness, grief, and a bit of relief.